Method for discriminating between military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) targets

Abstract

A method of autonomously tailoring a detonation delay time of a gun launched munition by utilizing target impact signatures including but not limited to a MOUT target set; earth and timber bunker, triple brick wall, double reinforced concrete, and light armor. While the present method is applicable to countless munition configurations, the projectile architecture used to develop the discrimination algorithm includes a tandem warhead configuration. Upon target impact the forward warhead detonates and pre-damages the target to allow the rear warhead to break through. Target impact data is used to set a detonation delay in the rear warhead providing increased performance behind the target.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for use in a munition having a tandem warhead configuration to provide autonomous target discrimination, wherein the tandem warhead configuration includes a forward warhead and a rear warhead, the method comprising: sensing an impact between the forward warhead and the target; upon sensing the impact, the forward warhead detonating to cause pre-damage to the target, for allowing the rear warhead to break through the target; and using the impact and the detonation of the forward warhead as stimuli to concurrently set a selective detonation delay of the rear warhead and monitor a combination of states of a plurality of switches, for providing increased performance behind the target; wherein sensing the impact between the forward warhead and the target includes monitoring a state of a MEMS G-switch; wherein setting the selective detonation delay includes setting a delay period that is sufficient to prevent a microcontroller from discriminating a high frequency impact signature; wherein monitoring the combination of states of the plurality of switches includes monitoring the state of an impact switch and a G-switch; wherein the impact switch changes from a high state to a low state upon detection of an acceleration that exceeds a predetermined threshold acceleration level in a specific direction; wherein the predetermined threshold acceleration is preset to reflect an impact with a heavy armor target; wherein upon determination that the impact switch has not changed state during the delay period subsequent to the impact between the forward warhead and the target, disabling the impact switch; wherein initiating the determination of the detonation timing of the rear warhead includes monitoring the state of the G-switch; wherein upon determination that the G-switch state has changed, causing the rear warhead to detonate on the premise that the target is not a hard target, and that the rear warhead has already been penetrated by the munition; wherein upon determination that the G-switch state has not changed, concurrently scheduling a timeout and continuing to monitor the state of the G-switch; wherein upon determination that the timeout has been reached, causing the rear warhead to detonate on the premise that the target is soft; wherein upon determination that the timeout has not been reached, continuing to monitor the state of the G-switch until one of two conditions is met; the state of the G-switch changes, and the timeout is reached; wherein upon determination that the state of the G-switch has changed, detonating the rear warhead on the premise that the rear warhead has penetrated the target. 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein setting the selective detonation delay includes setting a delay period of approximately 750 μs. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection of the acceleration that exceeds the predetermined threshold acceleration level causes a detonation of the rear warhead on impact. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein causing the rear warhead to detonate includes setting a delay period prior to the detonation of the rear warhead. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the timeout is in the range of approximately 40 ms. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising setting a predetermined delay, prior to the detonation of the rear warhead. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined delay is approximately 12 ms.